“Someone isn’t taking any chances,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same guys from earlier today.”
“Good thing we parked down the road,” Isla said. “We can take them by surprise.”
“We aren’t doing anything. They tried to snatch you earlier, and they might try it again, so you keep out of sight.”
“Fine. I will.”
Bones heard the lie in her voice but didn’t waste time arguing.
From the corner of the castle, they watched as two men emerged from the car. After a few seconds, they flicked on a pair of flashlights and separated. One headed in the ruined chapel while the other made a beeline for the castle.
“What are we, I mean you, going to do?” Isla whispered.
“Look, chick. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I’m asking nicely. Please stay the hell out of sight and let me handle it?”
Isla let out a huff of breath, turned, and vanished into the darkness.
Bones relaxed. One less thing to worry about. He watched as the flashlight beam bounced its way toward the castle. The man moved along at a jaunty pace, clearly thinking he and his friend had the place to themselves. That was all right with Bones.
He watched as the man moved to the castle entrance and began working at the lock that held the gate in place. Perfect! His quarry distracted by the task at hand, Bones melted into the night and circled around behind him. Growing up, he’d learned from his grandfather how to move silently in the forest, so treading soundlessly on the soft grass outside the castle was child’s play. In a matter of seconds, Bones was standing behind the man.
“Don’t move,” he said.
The man didn’t follow directions very well. He spun about, one hand reaching inside his jacket.
Bones struck him flush on the jaw. It was a solid blow that turned the man’s knees to rubber. Bones hit him again for good measure, pinned him to the ground, and relieved him of the small automatic pistol he had tucked in a belly band beneath his shirttail. Hastily, he tied his captive up with his own shoelaces and then took his wallet.
Bones recognized the man immediately as the driver of the car; the one who had taken potshots at him and Maddock. He checked the man’s license. “Theodore Campbell,” he read aloud. “You go by Ted? Teddy? Mister T?”
The man narrowed his eyes and glared up at Bones. “Bugger off.”
Bones slapped him hard across the ear. “This will end a lot better for you if you mind your manners,” he said. “You get what I’m saying, Teddy?”
“The name is Campbell.”
“Whatever. Tell me, Campbell. Who do you work for?”
Hatred burned in Campbell’s eyes. “I already gave you the only answer you’re going to get.”
“Yeah, but it was the wrong answer.” Bones knew time was tight. The man’s partner might show up at any moment. His patience waning, he shoved his hand into Campbell’s mouth, grabbed one of his incisors, and twisted.
Campbell let out a yelp, which Bones quickly muffled with his hand.
“I flunked out of dental school, so it only gets worse from here. You ready to talk now?”
Eyes wide, Campbell nodded.
“All right. Who do you work for?”
“I’m one of the Tuatha de Dannan. I don’t work for them; I’m one of them.”
“And what are you doing here?”
“You are trying to take what rightfully belongs to us.” He hesitated but hurried on when Bones made to grab another tooth. “The treasure.”
“How did you know we would be here looking for it?”
“We have our ways.” A grin split his face, maniacal laughter in his eyes. “You might be thinking of killing me, but it would be a waste of time. Even if you end me and my partner, more will follow.”
Bones interrogated the man for another minute, but the fellow knew nothing, aside from the orders he’d been given — come to Dunstaffnage, search for clues to the treasure of the Tuatha. If he met Isla, he was to find out what she might know. Bones also extracted the name of the man’s partner — Brown. Satisfied, he gagged Teddy and left Isla to watch over him. She refused to take the gun but accepted Bones’ Recon knife instead. From the look in her eyes, Bones had a feeling she was hoping Teddy would give her a reason to use it.
He crept down to the ruined chapel, where Brown was still searching. Brown almost proved to be a problem. He saw Bones coming and almost managed to draw his own pistol before Bones closed the distance between them.
He seized Brown’s wrist before he could take hold of his weapon, then head-butted him across the bridge of the nose. He followed it up by driving a knee into his groin, which sent him crumbling to the ground. One precisely-targeted punch behind the ear and Brown was lying dazed on the ground.
Once he was disarmed and trussed, Brown offered no further resistance. He answered all of Bones’ questions, though he had little more to offer than his partner. They were members of the Tuatha de Dannan who had been sent here to search for clues to the treasure, and to find out what Isla might know. They answered to someone named Brigid, whom he referred to as an elder. Bones had heard that title used before by those against whom he and Maddock had run up in the past.
“Are you connected to the Dominion?” he asked.
Brown was either an excellent actor, or he’d genuinely never heard of the organization to which Bones and Maddock had delivered a crippling blow. One which still had not been eradicated.
“No idea what you’re talking about. The Tuatha are an ancient order, and we only want what is ours.”
“And you’ll kill in order to get it?” Bones asked, waving the pistol he’d taken from Brown.
“We have a right to defend ourselves.”
Bones smiled. “And how did that work out for you?”
Brown scowled and lapsed into silence.
Bones considered his options. He saw no need to kill these men. What did they really know, other than his face and Isla’s name and description? He freed Brown’s ankles and escorted him back to the castle, where he collected Isla and Campbell. From there, he led them back to their SUV, shoved them in the back, hogtied them, and locked them inside.
“Someone will find them in the morning,” he said to Isla as they headed back to the castle.
“Unless the Tuatha send someone to check on them.”
“I got the impression they were the only ones assigned to this detail. But, if more of the Tuatha show up, we’re ready for them.” Bones patted his waistband, where he had secured the two pistols he’d taken from the men.
Isla looked uncertainly at the weapons, then slowly nodded.
“All right, what do we do now?” she asked.
He took a long look out at the water and sighed. “We hope Maddock and Grizzly find something soon.”
Chapter 18
Maddock slid downward, shooting forward at a steep angle. The beam of his headlamp bounced off a low ceiling a few feet above his head. Alongside him, Grizzly shrieked and covered his face. Ignoring him, Maddock looked down and saw that the slope ended about twenty feet ahead and braced himself for impact. They hit the ground hard, the detritus from the shattered ledge spilling around them.
“Holy crap,” Maddock groaned. He took a moment to check himself for injuries. Only scrapes and bruises. Nothing broken.
“Give me a hand up?” Grizzly asked.
Maddock considered telling the man where to go, but he relented and hauled the cryptid hunter to his feet. “Are you hurt?” He didn’t exactly care what happened to Grizzly, but if the man had a broken leg or some other injury that would prevent him from climbing out and making the swim back to Dunstaffnage, it would fall on Maddock to rescue him. He didn’t need the inconvenience.